Police detail break-in at Waverly YMCA

Peter Hermann, The Baltimore Sun

Four young men broke into the Stadium Place YMCA in Waverly early Tuesday and stole a 60-inch television, a portable oxygen tank and food, and also damaged a vending and bank machine, Baltimore police said Wednesday.

A spokeswoman for the YMCA of Central Maryland had said on Tuesday that the break-in was confined to the lobby of the building on East 33rd Street, the site of the old Memorial Stadium. She had declined to say if anything was taken, but said damage was quickly cleaned up.

The police report details far more extensive damage. Police say the burglars got in through a door up to three hours after the night staff left and departed with stolen items about 15 minutes before the overnight cleaning crew arrived. Police would not say how entry was gained.

Police said the cleaning crew did not report any disturbance to police, and that it was an employee who called police after he opened up the YMCA between 5 a.m. and 5:15 a.m. Police would not comment on their investigation, but said that surveillance cameras captured much of the break-in.

One young man was described as black with a medium complexion, 18 to 25 years old, weighing about 155 pounds and standing about 6 feet tall. Police said he was seen on tape wearing a tan button-down work shirt, dark jeans and a gray baseball cap. Two other men were described with similar facial and body traits, but wearing black hooded sweat shirts and jeans. Police did not provide a description of the fourth man.

Police said the tapes show the young men entering the YMCA about 12:45 a.m., about two to three hours after the night staff left. The report says they failed to activate the alarm.

The report describes the interior of the building as ransacked, and that the men got into a pool pump room through an unsecured door. That, police said, "allowed them access to the rest of the facility."

Police also said that the young men damaged food and vending machines, an ATM and rifled through at least one desk drawer. They also broke a lock on another door before steeling the television and other items.

The police reports says surveillance footage shows the young men leaving the building about 1 a.m. carrying items. Officers reported finding empty plastic containers and soda bottles on the lawn outside the YMCA.